Electrical properties of polystyrene matrix doped by gold nanoparticles and 8HQ

We explored the modification of polymeric film conductivity by changing the conducting filler percentage in the frame of the percolation theory. The polymeric film is a polystyrene (PS) matrix, while the fillers are gold nanoparticles capped with 1-dodecanethiol (Au-DT NPs) and small conjugated molecules 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ). Experimental results show, that increasing the Au-DT and 8HQ wt%, film conductivity increases by up to three orders of magnitude due to charge transfer in the 3D network composed by Au-DT NPs and 8HQ. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.